Nile felucca cruise in Egypt
Prices are per person, and vary with the number of travellers .
Duration can be tailored. For a 6 days cruise, prices range from 700 to 900 euros per person. Free for children under 6
Description of Nile felucca cruise in Egypt
This atmospheric Nile felucca cruise can be enjoyed as either a four- or six-day holiday, starting in the ancient city of Aswan.
With room for just seven passengers aboard this comfortable, traditional sailing vessel, private felucca cruises on the Nile are perfect for couples, families and other small groups. If your group is larger than seven it's no problem - another felucca can be chartered so that the two boats can sail in flotilla.
Your trip includes all meals and guiding, as well as entrance fees for temples and ancient sites that contribute so much towards their preservation. At night, you'll bed down under the stars in your felucca's spacious and cosy sleeping area, an unforgettable experience.
Four or six day itineraries begin in Aswan, with the suggestion of finishing in Edfu for the shorter trip, or Esna for the longer one. In both instances you will be transfered to Luxor or back to Aswan at the end of your voyage.
The highlights of this trip are many, but surely include a stop at the great quarries of Gebel el-Silsilah, from where the sandstone for many of Egypt's most renowned temples, including Luxor, Kom Ombo and Karnak, was excavated. You'll also visit Kom Ombo, uniquely dedicated to two gods: Sobek, lord of the crocodiles, and Horus, god of war and the sky, and the beautifully preserved Temple of Horus at Edfu.
At every stop, your friendly and knowledgeable crew aims to visit outside of the busiest hours, reducing the strain on the site and ensuring you have a more enjoyable tour. Another highlight is definitely the delicious Egyptian meals which an onboard cook prepares freshly for you - grilled meats, soups, legumes and fruits all feature.
Besides the obvious environmental benefits of zero-carbon travel on the Nile, one of the great pleasures of travelling sedately on a sail-powered felucca cruise is watching the scenery slowly change. Riverside and island views offer perspectives of Egypt totally different to those of the cities.
You're travelling with a company dedicated to respecting Egypt's environment and its people, so you can be sure that your crew, all native Egyptians, receive a fair income.
This is a tailor made trip, so you can of course extend your stay on land before or after the cruise such as with a few days in Luxor. And you can of course tailor the length of the cruise too, with a minimum of two days.
Nile felucca cruises are the finest way to explore this mythic body of water, and perfect for aficionados of 'slow travel'.
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24 Reviews of Nile felucca cruise in Egypt
Reviewed on 28 Jun 2023 by Gabrielle Chou
We have traveled a lot, but this trip is memorable. We are going to come back with friends, advertise it to them so that more people can have the experience and the privilege of discovering the jewel that is the Nile river, in the company of the wonderful Karim, Assam and Bassam who you will carry in your heart after the trip is over. Read full reviewReviewed on 02 Apr 2023 by Jeremy Balsdon
Very good. Food made on board was fresh as it was purchased daily... Saw the river life of the Nile. Read full reviewReviewed on 11 Feb 2023 by Hilary Shaw
Everyday on the Nile was wonderful. We are so glad we sailed in the felucca instead of taking one of the larger cruise boats. Read full reviewReviewed on 11 Feb 2023 by naomi selig
Amazing. The crew were completely kind and thoughtful. The food was great. Our captain Karim was really interesting, kind and hospitable. Read full reviewReviewed on 08 Dec 2022 by Tracy Bach
Most memorable was the pace of life on the felucca... watching the changing scenes on each side of the Nile, listening to the crew talk with each other/laugh/call out to others working on the Nile - and smelling Karim's cooking, which always made me ready for the next meal. Read full reviewReviewed on 06 Dec 2022 by Carrie Lederer
I am thrilled I found this option to sail the Nile! It was a 5 star adventure. I traveled through Egypt alone and ended up on a felucca with a couple who will be life long friends, along with the stellar crew. Read full reviewReviewed on 15 Nov 2022 by Penny Kay
Fantastic. I would definitely recommend this holiday to people looking for something unusual and relaxing. Read full reviewReviewed on 12 Apr 2022 by Molly Herwehe
From swimming in the Nile to visiting a tiny market to buy guava, and infinite tea breaks to the most clever crew, this was an overwhelmingly exquisite experience. Read full reviewReviewed on 08 Jan 2022 by Jack Christopher
We had an incredible once in a lifetime experience and I couldn't recommend the trip highly enough. Read full reviewReviewed on 22 Dec 2022 by Richard Fuller
A great way to see the Nile and experience river life. Read full reviewReviewed on 07 Dec 2021 by Clark Vandeventer
Our four days sailing the Nile on a felucca was one of the most special experiences of my life. It was such an incredible time for our family. Read full reviewReviewed on 22 Mar 2020 by Catriona Stewart
I can't speak too highly of this holiday, it was one of the best I have ever had. Read full reviewReviewed on 13 Jan 2020 by Charlotte Carleton
10/10 and would heartily recommend to others! It was the perfect way to start the new year, reset our sleep cycles and feel rested for the rest of January. Read full reviewReviewed on 08 Mar 2020 by Maureen Magee
A very exciting adventure sailing on the Nile in a small sailing vessel, it helped us experience what life was like at basic village life for many poor Egyptians & see parts of the country that we would not normally have seen. Read full reviewReviewed on 04 Dec 2019 by Erik Rempt
One of my best trips ever made the only way to travel the Nile for me !! Read full reviewReviewed on 07 Oct 2019 by Sheri Brown
Of the many places we visited and wonders we saw during our trip to Egypt, the 5 day felucca cruise was without question the most educational and enjoyable of all. Read full reviewReviewed on 18 Aug 2019 by Amandip Uppal
Our 5 days on the felucca will forever be remembered as a truly unique and therapeutic experience. Slowly sailing downstream from Aswan we watched the Nile pass by, stopping to see a temple one day or a trip into town to see a camel market on another - this was a beautiful way to experience Egypt away from the larger cruise ships. Read full reviewReviewed on 06 Apr 2019 by Ines Martins
Chilling in the felucca while it sailed up the beautiful Nile and getting to know our crew were the most memorable parts of our holiday. The beauty and serenity of this place were just unbelievable! Read full reviewReviewed on 27 Jan 2019 by Rich Read
It is the journey of a lifetime, absolutely the most special and authentic way to travel down the Nile. Take it from a seasoned traveler, this felucca voyage rates right up there with the world's grand adventures... Read full reviewReviewed on 03 Jan 2019 by Asma Hussain
My friend and I were in Egypt for 13 days and in the middle of it went on this felucca cruise, which turned out to be the highlight of the entire holiday, easily beating the pyramids, sphinx, temples and tombs! Read full reviewReviewed on 22 May 2018 by Jost Stollmann
The most memorable part was sailing the Nile with your own Felucca. Spectacular. Probably it is not for everyone. You need to want an authentic experience that will take you into a different world, out of your routine and comfort zone. It is well worth it. Read full reviewReviewed on 10 Apr 2018 by Jo Scott
Egypt was beautifully chaotic, dusty and dirty and a treasure to behold. The most amazing part of this was the relaxing, quiet 2 days spent on the Felucca sailing the magnificent Nile. We felt completely looked after, all our needs met and especially great food from cook Ramadon and expert guidance from guide Hesham. Read full reviewReviewed on 29 Mar 2016 by Dominic Kelly
Waking up as the sun rose over the milky waters of the Nile was pretty incredible. Walking on the sandy banks and washing as the fishermen and farmers arrived for their work was truly magical. Read full reviewResponsible Travel
Planet
We are particularly careful to ensure that there are no negative ecological impacts.We use no fossil energy, the feluccas travel exclusively on wind power.As a consequence the banks of the Nile and its wildlife undergo no degradation caused by us in contrast to that inflicted by the larger cruise boats which produce serious damage and erosion due to the waves they create. Moreover the animal life and especially the birds are not frightened or disturbed by the noise of the engines and our guest can see them very close.We undertake the organization of cleaning up not only after ourselves but of less scrupulous tourists or local people in the areas where we spend the night During the cruise, all the rubbish is kept and put in a proper place.
We create the opportunity to exchange ideas and mutual understanding about ecological behavioursi in a country where Ecology is not the first concern.
People
Our aim is to propose and promote individual holidays that are environmentally and socially respectful. We endeavour to provide our clients the opportunity to have a clear and precise insight into the characteristics of local life whilst minimizing the negative impact generally associated with mass tourism. We are particularly careful to ensure a fair distribution of the money generated by our activity so that the main beneficiaries are egyptian families.The felucca owned by our company remains entirely at the disposition of the family of our egyptian associates at Luxor. Cruises departing from Aswan are aboard another felucca hired for the purpose so as not to interrupt the regular work schedule of the boat based at Luxor. All the people who organize the cruises and accompany visitors (captain, mousse, cook) are egyptian .All purchases relative to the holidays are made locally (food, transport, equipment)
Since the “Arab Spring” tourism has diminished substantially and is struggling to restart. With our initiative we wish to support local communities and to bring them a mean to restore confidence in their own future without relying too much on the only egyptian government.
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